Agent-Based Modeling Applications for Sustainable Shipping and Port Infrastructure Design and Analysis

Paper in proceeding, 2026

The maritime industry is a major player in global transportation, providing reliable and efficient freight services, but also a major contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The International Maritime Organization is discussing stringent GHG policy measures (e.g., Net-Zero Framework) to decarbonize shipping. The World Association for Waterborne Transport Infrastructure also declares its full commitment to supporting the energy transition. This study provides an overview of applying agent-based model (ABM) simulation tools to enable GHG emission reductions from maritime transport systems, including ships, infrastructure, and navigational resources. Agent-based simulation models are powerful tools that model complex real-world systems through the interactions of agents and the environment(s). The behaviors of agents adjust and emerge from these interactions, providing flexibility for testing policies and their implications under realistic conditions. This review considers different applications of ABM in maritime systems – ships, port infrastructure, and the combined systems. The study demonstrates the significant potential of ABMs to analyze and improve the performance of complex systems with high uncertainty in the waterborne sector. Particularly, ABMs were found useful for real-world applications in polar, offshore, and inland shipping. The review shows significant trust among maritime stakeholders in ABMs and their willingness to commit time and resources to their development.